Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Northeastern Arizona
© 2002, © 2016 by Paul Freeman. Revised 2/27/16.
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Snowflake Municipal Airport (revised 2/27/16) - Transwestern Pipeline Airfield #3 (revised 4/12/09) - Transwestern Pipeline Airfield #4 (revised 2/8/12)
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Snowflake Municipal Airport, Snowflake, AZ
34.55 North / 110.11 West (Northeast of Phoenix, AZ)
Snowflake Municipal Airport, as depicted on a 7/21/68 USGS aerial photo.
This general aviation airport was evidently established at some point between 1960-67,
as it was not yet depicted on the 1960 USGS topo map.
The earliest reference to Snowflake Municipal Airport which has been located
was in the 1967 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling).
It described Snowflake as having a single 5,400' gravel Runway 5/23.
The only facilities described at Snowflake were tiedowns.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Snowflake Municipal Airport was on a 7/21/68 USGS aerial photo.
It depicted Snowflake as having a single unpaved northeast/southwest runway.
The 1970 USGS topo map depicted Snowflake Municipal Airport as having a single northeast/southwest runway,
with a ramp area on the north side.
The 1973 Flight Guide (courtesy of Fred Udall) depicted Snowflake Municipal Airport as having a single 4,800' unpaved Runway 5/23.
The 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling)
described Snowflake Municipal Airport as having a single 4,800' dirt Runway 5/23.
Snowflake Municipal Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1976-77,
as it was no longer listed among active airfields in the 1977 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Jonathan Westerling).
The 1980 USGS topo map depicted Snowflake Municipal Airport as having a single northeast/southwest runway.
The 1996 USGS aerial photo (enhanced by Bill Grasha) depicted Snowflake Municipal Airport as having a single northeast/southwest runway.
There was no sign of any buildings, nor any sign of recent use.
Dennis Collins drove to the site of Snowflake Municipal Airport in August 2010.
He reported, “It's located off what was obviously the old highway (perhaps never paved),
and the road now going down the centerline is marked as 'Old Airport Road'.
Someone at some time put serious energy into this.
It's probably a mile long, and was obviously graded, moving considerable dirt around.
They cut down hillsides by 6' or more, and built up other areas by as much. It's quite wide, maybe 200'.
There's not a sign of any building around it.
I assume that the nearby Taylor airport (not that it's a roaring place even today) took most of the traffic from Snowflake.”
An 8/15/10 aerial view by Dennis Collins (enhanced by Bill Grasha) looking west along the remains of the Snowflake Municipal Airport runway.
Dennis observed, “It doesn't stand out as much as it does on Google Earth, but you can see the outline.
It may be because we're in the middle of the Arizona Monsoon season & it's green up here.”
A 2014 aerial view looking southwest along the remains of the Snowflake Municipal Airport runway.
The site of Snowflake Municipal Airport is located southwest of the intersection of Route 77 & Reidhead Avenue.
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Transwestern Pipeline Company Airfield #3, Leupp, AZ
35.3 North / 110.85 West (Northeast of Phoenix, AZ)
Transwestern #3 Airfield, as depicted on the July 1977 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airport while in operation has not been located.
This was one of a network of private airfields which were built (and subsequently abandoned)
along the Transwestern Pipeline Company's pipeline in Arizona & New Mexico.
Transwestern #3 was apparently built between 1976-77,
as it was not depicted on the 1957 USGS topo map, nor listed in the 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the Transwestern #3 Airfield which has been located
was on the July 1977 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Transwestern #3 as a private airfield having a single 5,000' paved runway,
running east/westalong the south side of the pipeline.
Transwestern #3 was still depicted as an active airfield
on the November 1992 Phoenix Sectional Chart (according to Timothy Aanerud).
The Transwestern #3 Airfield was evidently abandoned at some point between 1992-97,
as the 1997 USGS aerial photo clearly showed the runway as being marked with closed "X" symbols.
The paved runway otherwise appeared to be in fine condition.
The complex of buildings just northeast of the runway was a pumping station,
and there did not appear to have been any hangars or other buildings directly associated with the airfield.
A June 8, 2007 aerial view looking southwest at the Transwestern #3 Airfield
showed the runway to remain in the same condition, intact & marked with closed "X" symbols.
The Transwestern #3 Airfield is located on the south side of Indian Route 15,
six miles east of Leupp, AZ.
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Transwestern Pipeline Company Airfield #4 (9E5), Ganado, AZ
35.57 North / 109.38 West (Northeast of Phoenix, AZ)
Transwestern #4 Airfield, as depicted on the 1971 USGS topo map.
Photo of the airport while in operation has not been located.
This was one of a network of private airfields which were built (and subsequently abandoned)
along the Transwestern Pipeline Company's pipeline in Arizona & New Mexico.
The date of establishment of the Transwestern #4 Airfield has not been determined.
The earliest depiction of the Transwestern #4 Airfield which has been located was on the 1971 USGS topo map.
It depicted a single northeast/southwest “Landing Strip” parallel to the south side of the pipeline,
east of a pumping station.
Transwestern #4 was not listed in the 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Transwestern #4 Airfield
was on the July 1977 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Transwestern #4 as a private airfield having a single 4,400' paved runway.
Transwestern #4 was still depicted as an active airfield
on the November 1992 Phoenix Sectional Chart (according to Timothy Aanerud).
The Transwestern #4 Airfield was evidently abandoned at some point between 1992-97,
as the 1997 USGS aerial photo clearly showed the runway as being marked with closed "X" symbols.
The paved runway otherwise appeared to be in fine condition.
There was a cleared ramp area adjacent to the south side of the runway,
but there did not appear to have been any hangars or other buildings at the airfield.
A 6/8/07 aerial view looking northeast at the Transwestern #4 Airfield (enhanced by Bill Grasha)
showed the runway to remain in the same condition, intact & marked with closed "X" symbols.
The Transwestern #4 Airfield is located in an extremely remote area
(so remote that the nearby roads aren't even labeled on maps),
14 miles southeast of Ganado, AZ.
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